Shia LaBeouf, 32, Charged With Battery in New Orleans

Actor Shia LaBeouf has been arrested again in New Orleans, Louisiana. Again, the actor has found himself in trouble with the law. He was already arrested earlier this month after a brawl earlier this month where he punched several individuals outside a New Orleans bar. In addition, he had also used homophobic slurs.

Shia LaBeouf Arrested Again in New Orleans

The actor was arrested and charged with battery after authorities said that he punched several people outside a New Orleans bar last month. On Saturday, LaBeouf was arrested again and charged with an additional misdemeanor count of simple battery. The second arrest is connected to a physical altercation that took place on Feb. 17 outside the Royal Street Inn & R Bar, for which the “Transformers” star was previously arrested.

Allegedly, he had hit multiple people while using homophobic slurs during the Mardi Gras celebrations. LaBeofy voluntarily turned himself in to the police, and the actor’s attorney, Sarah Chervinsky, said that a new arrest warrant from police was issued on Friday. According to a statement obtained by the Associated Press, Chervinsky emphasized that LaBeouf shouldn’t be treated any more harshly because of his status.

She said, per the Associated Press, “No regular person would be required to post over $100,000 in bonds, and be jailed two separate times for one misdemeanor incident. Just as he does not deserve preferential treatment, Mr. LaBeouf also does not deserve to be treated more harshly by the police and courts just because he is a public figure.”

On the Feb. 17 incident, a video shows LaBeouf, who is shirtless, pushing a person to the ground and striking another person in the face, causing a possible dislocation of the person’s nose. Jeffrey Damnit, a local entertainer, said that he was one of the people who was struck by the actor. He told the Associated Press, “He hit me, he connected a few times with punches, he pushed me a few times.”

Release From Custody Following Arrest

LaBeouf was in court on Saturday, and his bond was set at $5,000 by the judge. He is no longer being held in custody. Authorities arrived at the bar at 12:45 a.m. during the city’s Fat Tuesday revelry and placed the actor in handcuffs.

LaBeouf did not enter a plea and did not speak with reporters on Thursday after he was ordered by a New Orleans judge to return to drug and alcohol rehab. LaBeouf has to return to the Orleans Parish Criminal Court on Thursday, March 19, in two weeks. In a Saturday interview with YouTuber Andrew Callaghan, the actor shared what led to his arrest from the Feb. 17 incident.

Obtained by NBC News, he shared that he attributed his arrest to his fear of “big gay people.” He said, “When I’m standing by myself and three gays are next to me touching my leg, I get scared. I’m sorry. If that’s homophobic, then I’m that. Yeah.” He also added, “I’ll be honest with you, big gay people are scary to me.”

The actor has faced legal problems in the past. In 2017, he was arrested for public drunkenness, and he made racist and other profane comments to police. He had cited his addiction as a struggle and apologized for his actions. Afterwards, the allegations against LaBeouf were dropped.

In 2020, his ex-girlfriend, English singer FKA Twigs, sued the actor, citing physical abuse, choking her, and knowingly giving her a sexually transmitted disease. She also alleged in the lawsuit that LaBeouf once slammed her into a car and tried strangling her. Last year, the case got settled out of court.